During the summer holidays, Swedens children’s rights in society (Bris) had more conversations with children than ever before, and mental illness is the most common reason for contact.
This summer, during the period 13 June to 14 August, Bris had 10,330 contacts with children. During the same period last year, the number was 8,054, an increase of 28%. According to Bris, the absence of adults becomes a risk factor during the summer holidays, when school and extracurricular activities are on hold and many children experience increased loneliness.
– We have never had as many supportive conversations as we did this summer. This is partly because we have made it possible for the children to seek support through anonymous text messages. This is something that the children themselves have requested and it makes it easier for them to contact the counselors at Bris, says Bris Secretary General Magnus Jägerskog in a press release.
The most common reason for children to contact Bris is mental illness, which accounts for 43 percent of the calls. Among other things, calls about eating disorders have increased. One-fifth of the calls were about family and family conflicts, while 14 percent were about violence, abuse and injuries.
For the past year, Bris has also seen an increase in calls about crime and gang crime. Compared to the summer holidays of 2023, calls about crime have increased by 90 percent, from 67 calls in 2023 to 127 calls in 2024.
